Portable folding boat



(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

GEORGE HENRY, OF OIL CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

PORTABLE FOLDING BOAT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 598,989, dated February 15, 1898. Application filed Deoember 19, 1896, Serial No. 616,323. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. HENRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oil City, in the county of Venango and State of- Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Folding Boats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in portable knockdown boats; and it consists of certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, all of which Will be hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective View of my boat in its extended position, and Fig. 2 representsa similar view ofsaid boat in its closed position.

A in the drawings represents the body of the boat, B B the gunwale-strips, and O C the ribs. The body portion A is constructed of any suitable flexible waterproof material, the

ends of which are secured together, as at a,

in any suitable manner to give the desired point of construction to the hull. The gunwale-strips B, which are constructed of some flexible material, are secured along the upper edge of the hull A and are hinged together at their meeting ends, so that they may be spread apart to any desired extent. The ribs 0 are simple curved segmental strips of fiexible material adaptedto be forced down into the hull to extend the same, the opposite ends of said ribs catching under the under sides of the gunwale-strips, and thus holding said ribs firmly in position and the gunwale-strips extended.

It will be observed from the foregoing that any size or length of ribs may be employed with a suitable hull, and thus give the boat either greater or less beam. In racing-boats, for instance, it is desirable to use very short ribs, so the hull will easily pass through the water, while in pleasure-boats, in which stability is a desirable character, it is preferable to employ longer ribs, so that the boat will thereby be made wider and less liable to cap- The material I prefer to use for the hullA.

is a composition of rubber and canvas having sufficient body to lie smoothly when extended by the ribs, and thus present an unbroken surface that will offer little obstruction to the water.

The ribsO are formed of bendable material, as specified, and have an inherent resiliency, the said rib decreasing in size from those occupying the waist toward the opposite end of the boat. The ends of the said ribs when applied will give the boat the proper contour to bear against the under edges of the opposite gunwale-strips without anyintermediate fastening, the tension exerted by the said strips not only properly distending the body of the boat, but also sustaining an engagement of the ends thereof with the un der edges of the said gunwale-strips. The said ribs are also shaped to give a graduallytapered form to the opposite ends of the boat to produce a canoe contour, and to secure the said gunwale-strips to the edges of the material of which the body of the boat is formed closely-arranged ribs of flexible material are provided, which pass over the said gunwalestrips .and through the edges of the said material.

It will be observed from the foregoing that with the exception of the hinges connecting the gunwale-strips no metallic trimmings or attachments are employed, which lightens the ,con'structionof the boat and also provides a IOO opposite ends, and a plurality of flexible deous and unbroken from end to end, substan tachable ribs having an inherent resiliency tially as described. 9 adapted to be applied to the said hull with 111 testimony whereof I have signed this their ends abutting and held against the unspecification in the presence of two subscrib- 5 der;1 ed lrles of the 1said gniiwalg-sltrilgs 1lbyhthfi ing witnesses.

sai in erent resi iency a one o o t e u T distended and said ribs firmly in position, the GEORGE HENR1 said ribs decreasing in size from the Waist to \Vitnesses: the opposite ends of the boat to provide a J. '1. FRANZ,

1o canoe shape for the latter, and also continu P. H. SMITH. 

